


The Trouble With Landlines

by Bookworm1063



Series: Phone Calls [2]
Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-21
Updated: 2020-08-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 03:00:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26019952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bookworm1063/pseuds/Bookworm1063
Summary: 5 times Adam answers the phone, and one time he doesn't.
Relationships: Ronan Lynch/Adam Parrish
Series: Phone Calls [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1888543
Kudos: 71





	The Trouble With Landlines

**1.**

Adam had just stepped out of the trailer when the phone rang.

He stuck his head back through the door. Neither of his parents were up, and the last thing he needed was for the noise to wake his father.

Adam snatched the phone from its cradle and took it outside. “Hello?”

“Hey, Adam,” Gansey said. “I don’t think I can drive you today. The Pig broke down.”

“What’s wrong with it?” Adam checked his watch. He’d been expecting the Pig. He wasn’t sure he had time to bike, but there was no other option.

“I have no idea. It started just fine, then started ticking. It didn’t even make it out of the parking lot.”

“I’ll come over and look at it after school.” Already, Adam was shuffling things around in his head, trying to fit in an hour or two to fix the Camaro between work and school and work again.

Adam was so tired.

“I’ll see you in class,” he said.

o-o-o-o-o

**2.**

Adam didn’t spend a lot of time alone in Monmouth, but Ronan was out getting into trouble with the BMW, Gansey had rowing practice, and Noah was God-knew-where. Adam had the place to himself.

For a moment, he stood in the middle of the room and imagined it was all his. That he could have a place like this.

The phone rang.

Adam hesitated before picking it up.

“Hello?”

“Going up in any helicopters today?” the person on the other end asked. It was Blue.

“Blue,” Adam said. “Hi. And no.”

“In that case,” Blue said. “Do you want to do something? I get off at eight. I know it’s a little last minute, but we could go for a bike ride or whatever.”

“I’d like that,” Adam said.

“Cool,” Blue said. “I’ll see you tonight.” She hung up.

Adam set Gansey’s old-fashioned phone back down on the desk, smiling to himself.

o-o-o-o-o

**3.**

Ronan’s cell phone was ringing, and Ronan wasn’t answering it.

Adam wasn’t even sure where Ronan was. Gansey and Blue were sitting on the floor next to Gansey’s model of Henrietta, taking quietly. Adam was studying at Gansey’s desk. Ronan’s phone had been abandoned next to Gansey’s mint plant.

“It’s Declan,” Adam said.

“You can answer it,” Gansey said. “I’ll deal with it if you don’t want to, though.”

Adam answered it.

“Ronan, finally. This must be the thousandth time-”

“Uh, this is Adam, actually. Adam Parrish,” Adam said. “Ronan isn’t here.”

Declan was silent for a moment. “Well, where is he?”

“I don’t know.”

“Why do you have his phone?” Declan demanded.

“He left it here. Look, do you want me to give him a message?”

Declan sighed. “No. I’ll find him later.”

Adam hung up before Declan got a chance to. “He’s pissed.”

“As usual, and possibly for good reason,” Gansey said. Adam was inclined to agree.

o-o-o-o-o

**4.**

The Fox Way phone was ringing.

Everyone else had left or gathered downstairs. Adam was only near the Phone/Sewing/Cat room in the first place because the only bathroom in the house was upstairs.

No one was coming to answer the phone. They were all discussing the odds of everyone dying at the hands of a demon.

Adam picked it up. “Um, 300 Fox Way. Can I help you?”

“I hope so,” a breathy voice on the other end of the line answered. “I’m hoping you can tell me, will Johnny propose tonight? He’s planned the loveliest dinner, and I’m really hoping this is it, you know? But I thought I’d check just to-”

Adam slammed the phone down, disconnecting the call. It was possible he’d just lost Fox Way a paying customer, but Adam was sure this sort of thing was outside his area of clairvoyance. He’d leave five dollars on the counter.

Also, he was going to tell Maura to make sure calls were going to voicemail. Soon, there may not be anyone left alive to answer them.

o-o-o-o-o

**5.**

The phone was ringing. Adam wasn’t sure if he was allowed to pick it up.

Ronan was out in the fields, possibly driving his car around in circles. There was no one in the house but Adam.

Were you allowed to answer the phone at your boyfriend’s house?

It was going to go to voicemail if Adam didn’t pick it up. There was no caller ID.

Adam answered it.

“Hey!” Matthew’s cheery voice echoed on the other end of the line.

“Hi, Matthew,” Adam said. “Do you want me to get Ronan for you?”

“That’d be great,” Matthew said. “Thanks, Adam.”

“He’s out back. Give me a few minutes.”

As it turned out, Ronan was just climbing the steps up to the back porch. Adam handed him the phone. “It’s Matthew.”

Ronan put the phone to his ear. Matthew must have immediately started talking, because Ronan smiled slightly and leaned against the porch railing. His free hand found Adam’s, twisting their fingers together.

Adam tipped his head back against one of the wooden posts holding up the porch overhang and closed his eyes, holding Ronan’s hand, letting the sun play over his face.

o-o-o-o-o

**+1**

Adam pushed open the front door of the Barns, hauling his suitcase in behind him, stuffing his keys back into his pocket with his other hand. He nudged the door shut behind him with his foot.

It was the middle of the night. The house was silent. Adam hadn’t told Ronan he was coming.

Adam set his suitcase down at the foot of the stairs. He’d unpack in the morning.

The lights in the kitchen were off, so Adam stumbled through in the dark, getting himself a glass of water and a granola bar. Then he made his way upstairs.

The light in Ronan’s room was still on. Adam pushed the door open.

Ronan sat on the edge of the bed, his back to Adam, headphones on. The music was loud enough that Adam could hear it, even in just his one good ear. 

Adam moved around the side of the bed, into Ronan’s line of sight.

Ronan lifted his head. The headphones fell off in his hand.

“Please tell me you aren’t a dream copy of my boyfriend or some shit,” Ronan said.

“The car’s in the driveway,” Adam said. “You can check.”

Ronan didn’t check. He stood up to kiss Adam.

Adam’s cell phone rang.

“ _Please_ tell me that’s not fucking important,” Ronan said.

“It’s not,” Adam said. And he ignored it.


End file.
